Thursday, May 31, 2012

It's
been a while since I've done a manicure that elicits compliments from
random people I meet throughout my day ... and unfortunately I can't
even take credit for the very cool design I'm sporting on my nails this
week that's been ooh-ed and aah-ed over by everyone from the checkout
girl at Ralph's to my dentist's assistant. You
may have seen commercials lately for the new Tom Cruise movie, "Rock of
Ages" ... well, take a look at my "Rock of Ages"-inspired nails! Using
Sticks and Stones from Sally Hansen's new line of Salon Effects Real
Nail Polish Strips, my nails are now ready to rock and roll.

This
was my first time using nail wraps, and I was both pleasantly surprised
and a little frustrated. Although the 16 wraps come in varied sizes and
shapes, I had a hard time finding ones small enough to fit all
of my fingers. I ended up cutting them down to size after application,
using the wooden cuticle stick provided in the kit.

I
started with a layer of base coat (the instructions say to make sure
your nails are clean and dry, but I never put anything on my nails
without base coat), and then lined up all of my wraps so they were ready
for use. The actual application is pretty self-explanatory — peel and
stick — but once you get it on the nail, even a little bit, you don't
want to try to pull it off or you'll ruin the wrap. For all ten fingers,
it took me about 1.5 hours.

Despite the effort put
forth, I have to say I was very pleased with the result. Sticks and
Stones has a very retro feel; the red base is overlaid with geometric
stripes of silver and black, topped off with my favorite Seche Vite
clear coat. Don't be fooled by the pinkish color on the box; it is most definitely a vibrant cherry red.

There
are eight patterns total for this collection from Sally Hansen (more
images to come later this week!), including Red-y to Rock, Rock N’ Roar,
Zip It!, Star Quality, Amp it Up, Good Gene’s and Fingerlace Gloves.

The
box claims that they last up to 10 days, but I'm not sure these babies
will stay on for that long ... they are chipping a bit after day five,
but I'm itching to try the next pattern (I have a fun mani in mind) in
time for the movie's premiere on June 15.

Stay tuned for new designs!

Disclosure:
The products reviewed in this post were provided by the PR company for
Sally Hansen, but all opinions are my own. View our disclosure policy
for more information.

So it's no secret that we love nail art here at Glitter and Gloss ... and when we got word of the new It's So Easy Nail Art
website, we were all over it like white on rice. Created for nail
lovers everywhere, the It's So Easy website features a nifty nail art
community where fans can upload their nail designs, regardless of
experience level.

Love the color scheme!

"Nothing
is impossible when it comes to nail art," according to the company, and
after browsing the site I have to agree. The product section offers
Stripe Rites, which are thin brushes to help with any design, plus loose
glitters, cracked ice glitters, rhinestones, sealers and handy tools.

Personally, we found the best feature of the website to be the incredibly easy-to-follow How-To page, complete with a step-by-step and product list. We only wish there were more than just three posted!

All in all, it's a great place to get inspired for your own designs and maybe pick up some helpful tips and tricks.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Recently a friend of mine posted this photo
onto my Facebook wall, and of course, I accepted it as a challenge to
try it out. I actually recalled that my favorite YouTube nail artist
had done a similar look, so I followed her tutorial
to replicate the look. The colors I used were Orly Gumdrop for the base
color, Art Deco in Black (which has the skinny brush), OPI Strawberry
Margarita and OPI Pinking of You for the blossoms. Finished it off with
a bit of top coat, and all the tools I needed was the dotting tool. It
is actually a simpler look than it looks, and I received tons of
compliments on the design and the nail polish color. Teal polish is
really in, so definitely give ORLY's Gumdrop a look, it think it's my
favorite shade of this season!

Monday, May 28, 2012

Sorry all, it's been a long time since our last post, things have been a
little busier for us lately, but it doesn't mean we haven't been
painting our nails! I'm back to finish up my review of a few more Sally
Hansen polishes. We have 2 of the 8 Smooth Perfect Color + Care
polishes. This nail polish line is said to smooth ridges, leaving a
smooth porcelain finish.

08
Sorbet is a gorgeous light peachy color. Initially, I had past up the
opportunity to purchase Essie's Van d'go, and was really kicking myself
for not getting it. But now, I'm so glad I have this one instead. It
is a similar color, however, this one goes on more thinly, which I
prefer to Essie's thicker consistency. This polish definitely is more
forgiving, although you may have to layer it on more.

03 Dune, on the other hand, is a beige color with a definitely hint of
pearly iridescence. It is definitely a lovely nude color, goes on
slightly sheer, and just as the name suggest, has a very smooth
application. It's a very classic and timeless color, and Allison is
thinking using this one as her wedding day manicure. That's when you
know it's a great color!

All in all, I really did like these two polishes. The application was
easy, especially since the brush is extremely wide (wider than OPI!) and
the bristles are thick. This is definitely a more sheer and natural
looking polish line, so that is something to keep in mind if you are
looking into getting these!

Disclosure: The products
reviewed in this post were provided by the PR company for Sally Hansen,
but all opinions are my own. View our disclosure policy for more
information.